CrashClint
I Play Bass therefore I Am
In 1980 I bought a 1974 Jazz Bass, Ash body, Sunburst finish, Maple fretboard with the pearloid inlay.
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When did you become a Jazz Bass guy (gal)?
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
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- jazz bass
W
You will never, ever read or hear of me putting down a Foundation with Super Ferrites.
You will never, ever read or hear of me putting down a Foundation with Super Ferrites.
It was TRASHED, but playable. White, bound and blocked neck. The truss rod was frozen but the neck was straight and didn't need adjustment. It sounded sublime.
It was only 13 years old when I got it. The neck did move in the neck pocket, which sucked. There was a crack in the head stock. But I loved the sound. It was stolen when we played Baltimore a few months after I bought it.The neck was straight, "better lucky than good."
Sometime within about five months after I began playing bass in mid-1989. 1) I saw a mocha bound/blocked Jazz in a music store. That was the neck and finish I've wanted ever since (and now have- see avatar). 2) A few weeks after that, I saw Najee in a small club here in town and his bassist had a red Jazz. I remembered the growl from that bass and from many other Js I've played and heard since. They're just plain versatile basses- you can get closer to Jamerson with a J than you can to Jaco with a P.
To this day I still don't like JJ basses. They just don't sound good to me in my hands. I had a Fender JJ back in the early 90's that was a good bass - played it in a big band and in a jazz quartet. I switched to a Sterling in '94, sold the JJ and never have owned one since (for more than a day or three). For me it is PJ or Smith - Music Man can work, and Rob Allen but that's a different beast.
Different strokes...
Different strokes...
When I was 16 (started playing bass at 12) and it was the first time I played one -- been in love ever since!
When I first took up the bass almost 5 years ago I was playing hippie burnout music using my 6 string ESP bass, which is a fairly comfortable bass really. I rage quit that scene and joined an old school rock and roll cover band. Felt like a schmoe playing Folsom Prison Blues on a 6 string, so I wanted to go classic, either a P or a J. I had a Squier P bass but sold it since the neck was a little chunky, but it had that classic sound.
John Paul Jones was my determining factor. Funny, I've been into LZ heavily for years, but I couldn't tell you what kind of bass he played 6 years ago, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found out he used a Jazz. Now I have 4 jazz basses, a Squier 70's jazz, my first Jazz was my MIM ash FSR GC special which needs a setup badly, a Classic Series 60's Jazz w/the nitro that I only use at home, and my gigging bass, the Reggie Hamilton Jazz with the PJ setup.
John Paul Jones was my determining factor. Funny, I've been into LZ heavily for years, but I couldn't tell you what kind of bass he played 6 years ago, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found out he used a Jazz. Now I have 4 jazz basses, a Squier 70's jazz, my first Jazz was my MIM ash FSR GC special which needs a setup badly, a Classic Series 60's Jazz w/the nitro that I only use at home, and my gigging bass, the Reggie Hamilton Jazz with the PJ setup.
In 1993, after the eighties which were my metal years during which I thought I wanted to be a drummer, when I borrowed from a friend a cassette with the first solo album from Jaco Pastorius.
At first I was astonished by the musicality of the guy but I also liked the bass tone as never before.
My friend was a semi-pro studying at s music conservatorium at the time; he owned a lot of different basses and he told me that I was listening to the sound of a fretless Fender jazz bass played by one of the greatest innovators of the instrument and of the jazz music scene.
From there on, that was the tone I wanted the most, fretless or not ...
At first I was astonished by the musicality of the guy but I also liked the bass tone as never before.
My friend was a semi-pro studying at s music conservatorium at the time; he owned a lot of different basses and he told me that I was listening to the sound of a fretless Fender jazz bass played by one of the greatest innovators of the instrument and of the jazz music scene.
From there on, that was the tone I wanted the most, fretless or not ...
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
When did you become a Jazz Bass guy (gal)?
About 2001 ... But I am still a Rickenbacker guy, and a p-bass guy, and a stingray guy, and a Fenderbird guy, and a SG bass guy ... etc ...
as long as it has 5 strings then I will like it ...
About 2001 ... But I am still a Rickenbacker guy, and a p-bass guy, and a stingray guy, and a Fenderbird guy, and a SG bass guy ... etc ...
as long as it has 5 strings then I will like it ...
My first bass was a jazz. I still dont play it. I still have it. I just find that it gets lost in a band mix. I prefer my ric 4003 and stingray. I hear other bands and love how they sound with a jazz but i cant get that sound so i end up selling it. I want to like jazzes but i cant get that big full cutting sound like my other basses can do...
I started on Ps and played them for about 8 years, but had to have the J sound.
1992 found me getting an ash/rosewood 1972 Jazz out of the ads in Vintage Guitar magazine. The shop described it well and it was great playing, sounding and only 10 pounds. My 76 P sat untouched for the following 5 years until it was traded for a new American Jazz Deluxe V.
Still have both of these basses, and picked up an 83 El Toro, which is really just a hot rodded, steroidal Jazz bass...
1992 found me getting an ash/rosewood 1972 Jazz out of the ads in Vintage Guitar magazine. The shop described it well and it was great playing, sounding and only 10 pounds. My 76 P sat untouched for the following 5 years until it was traded for a new American Jazz Deluxe V.
Still have both of these basses, and picked up an 83 El Toro, which is really just a hot rodded, steroidal Jazz bass...
My first job as an early teen was working in a music store. I was able to try practically any guitars on the market and quickly realized through playing them that jazz basses were for me. It didn't hurt that JPJ used them early on either.
